OUR DOMINIES IN VICTORIA.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2047, 26 January 1889, Page 3

OUR DOMINIES IN VICTORIA.

Cpddle Eeadriggs, who contributes the amaalog Scotch articles of "Land and Sea," has the following " bit oraok" about the doinga of New Zealand tphool teaohera on a visit to VlotorU f — Weel, if there* ac thing that some folks i hae It's a Raid oonoei* o' theataela'. an' I'm gey an' chare oor Victorian neebora wall hae that opeenlon o' the New Zealand eohnle teachers. Aboot eaxty odd o' tbae gentry gaed ower tae Melbourne on a cheap trip tae ccc the Exhibeetion. Aifter the want era o' the hfg •bow had a' been exhausted, whit dlv ye think they h»d the pbeek tie dae ? they Bent twa three representatives tae wait oo ane o' the Meenlstßra fur tae try an' get free pnssea ower the hale o' the Victorian railway • ! They tell't the Meenlster the hale saxty o' them wanted tae atady the " Edocatlonal eynteem o' Victoria," an' aff ooorae couldna' be expecklt tae dao thia wl'oot free panes j bat, heoh airs the d«y, It wadoa gee, they're no aae aaft ower there m the " free pass" line o' boalneas ao jye are here, an' they failed I The MeeoUter aald It wls ower muokle o' the monkey tae expeok 00 free paesee, bat he widna' objeck tae geein' five or sax tae representative teachers, whilk I think was verra kind, aa' as muokle ao whit could be expecklt. Ma eonscienoe J tha cheek o* thae dominies wls malar, extraordinar', as aald dominie Sampson wad had aald " it's prodigious !" Fancy a hale drove o' pupil teaohers — sewln' mistresses, •eslstants, etc., eto. r let alane held malsters— oast loose tae gang sooorln' a/ ower Vlotorla at the pnblio aost tae slndy the educational •ystem." Mon, It'a awfal' gold, I'm fair tiekl't wl't. Gin they had got the passes the next thing wad hae been the bakers' trald, or the Ceevll Servants, or the pallsmen o' New Zealand a' gann ower tae " stody the Viotorian System," an' tralvel a' ower (ha unfortunate colony " free gratis, an' far Bsethla'. But there's ao thing, an' that's this, tbat ma confidence m oor ekule teaohers Is muokle Increased ; far depend on't, gin we hae sio a lot o' smairtleß amang them, they'll sbarely be able tae pit seme o't intli oor brains, an' gin oor weans osn only get a wae drop o' the aelf-ooDfiience o' their teaohera skelplt lotil it'll dae an unoo' lot ol gold, far if there's ac thing we need m the Colony it'a confidence m oorsels, la each ltber, an* m oor wee lilands. Never heed, ma herties, gin ye dldna 1 get whit ye wanted ye made a bauld attempt, an' ye ken «« fejat hett never won fair leddy," so that yo'll mebbl hae better look next time. Gin ye had gotten yer pint yd wad hae dune aomothio' tae craw owpr, an' 88 it is I'm thinfcln' yer Viotorlaa frieos wall no allow yer deeds tae sink intae obleevlon, far whan they want taa adorn their tails wl 1 pint n' a moral they cen gie the New Zjalacd tesobers as a •pcolment o' whit " ghcek " pna die.